Reception sleeve

ABSTRACT

A reception sleeve that may be mounted on a mandrel of a packaging machine for winding up a film used in the packaging process on the reception sleeve. The reception sleeve may include a plurality of hinges. Each hinge may have a hinge axis, wherein each hinge axis may be oriented in a direction parallel to a central axis of the reception sleeve. The reception sleeve may be mounted on a reception mandrel of the packaging machine, preferably for winding a residual film grid remaining after sealing trays in the packaging machine. The mandrel may include a mechanism for selectively tensioning the reception sleeve thereon to tension the reception sleeve to allow the mandrel to transfer a winding torque to the reception sleeve, and to reduce the tension so the reception sleeve can easily be removed from the mandrel.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application claims priority to European Patent Application Number16158285.3 filed Mar. 2, 2016, to Albert Gabler, currently pending, theentire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a reception sleeve that can be mountedon a mandrel of a packaging machine for winding a film.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION′

FR 2 770 502 A1; U.S. Pat. No. 3,281,092; US 2007/0278342 A1; and DE102008033349 A1 disclose embodiments of film winders. The windersdisclosed in these references may be provided with mandrels comprisingradially adjustable tensioning elements so that, after the windingprocess, the roll with the wound-up film material can be removed orpulled off from the mandrel. In practice, all these devices oftenexperience the problem that, in the case of thin webs, the residual filmgrid is wound up under high tensile stress and the diameter reductionthrough the radially adjustable tensioning elements is incapable ofcompensating for the constriction applied by the wound up, tensionedfilm, and it is still difficult to easily remove the roll from themandrel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the present invention to improve the removal of awound-up residual film grid from a residual film winder, in particularthe residual film winder of tray sealers.

This object is achieved by a reception sleeve according to the presentinvention used for winding up a film, preferably a residual film grid,at a packaging machine, wherein the reception sleeve comprises aplurality of hinges, said hinges being oriented parallel to a centralaxis of the reception sleeve. A residual film grid is the remainingportion of a film after the packages have been sealed with the film andthe packages have been cut-out and/or separated from the film during theproduction of a sealed package in a packaging machine. The receptionsleeve may fold into itself for removing the reception sleeve from afilm roll that has been wound thereon, and allow re-use of the receptionsleeve for a subsequent winding operation.

Preferably, the reception sleeve may comprise at least two respectiveneighboring or adjacent link elements, which define respective hinges,so as to allow the formation of a hinge by means of this simplestructural design. All the link elements in common substantially definein particular an annularly closed, hollow, approximately cylindricalbody.

The link elements may be configured to be folded inwards towards thecentral axis of the reception sleeve.

Preferably, the reception sleeve may comprise at least five linkelements, so that, when the reception sleeve is folded up, the outerdiameter thereof can be reduced to a high degree.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, all the linkelements may comprise articulation axes, and all of the articulationaxes may be configured to be oriented such that they are parallel to oneanother, so as to allow easy handling when the reception sleeve isapplied to the tensioning mandrel and when it is being removed from theroll.

The reception sleeve may be preferably adapted to be formed into anapproximately cylindrical shape, so that it can easily be pushed ontothe cylindrical tensioning mandrel.

The reception sleeve may preferably be composed of link elements, whichare articulated on one another.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the reception sleeve may beconfigured such that it can be pushed onto a reception mandrel of aresidual film winder of a packaging machine, preferably of a traysealer. A method according to the present invention may be used forwinding-up a film using a reception sleeve as described above,preferably winding-up a residual film grid, at a packaging machine,wherein the reception sleeve comprises a plurality of hinges and saidhinges being oriented parallel to a central axis of the receptionsleeve, wherein the method may comprise the following steps: (1)pushingthe reception sleeve onto a reception mandrel of a residual film winder,(2) winding a film or a residual film grid onto the reception sleeve soas to form a roll, (3) relaxing the reception sleeve, (4) pulling thereception sleeve, together with the roll, off from the receptionmandrel, (5) folding the reception sleeve inwards, and (6) removing thereception sleeve from the roll.

Preferably, the method may also comprise the following step: tensioningthe reception sleeve on the reception mandrel using a tensioning unit,so as to allow the reception mandrel to transmit a torque to thereception sleeve for winding up a film, and/or un-tensioning or reducingthe tension applied to the reception sleeve to relax the receptionsleeve for removal from the reception mandrel.

It will be advantageous to form the reception sleeve such that itassumes an approximately cylindrical shape during tensioning on thereception mandrel.

It is also imaginable to provide an alternative embodiment, wherein thereception sleeve is connected to the reception mandrel using one or aplurality of follower members such that the torque is transmitted fromthe tensioning mandrel to the reception sleeve through the followermember(s). Likewise, the reception sleeve may be tensioned on thereception mandrel using two conical bushings serving as tensioners,optionally also using follower members, in that the two bushings takehold of the reception sleeve through an axially oriented movementtowards one another, so that the torque can be transmitted from themandrel to the reception sleeve.

Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments andthe accompanying drawing figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

In the following, an advantageous embodiment of the present inventionwill be explained in more detail making reference to the followingdrawings, in which the individual figures show:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of a traysealer in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a residual film winder,a reception mandrel, and a reception sleeve according to the teachingsof the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the reception sleeveof FIG. 2 partially pushed onto the reception mandrel;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the residual film winder of FIG. 2, whereinthe reception sleeve is mounted on the reception mandrel in a tensionedcondition;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the reception sleeve of FIG. 2 having aroll of a residual film grid wound thereon;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the residual film winder of FIG. 2, whereinthe reception sleeve is mounted on the reception mandrel in a relaxedcondition;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a reception sleeve inaccordance with the teachings of the present disclosure, wherein thereception sleeve is removed from the tensioning mandrel, and theresidual film grid is wound upon the reception sleeve in a roll;

FIG. 8 is a front view of the reception sleeve of FIG. 7 having theresidual film grid wound thereon, wherein the reception sleeve is in apartially folded condition; and

FIG. 9 is a front view of one embodiment of a reception sleeve inaccordance with the teachings of the present disclosure illustrating thefolded reception sleeve after the reception sleeve is removed from theroll of the residual film grid.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention will now be described with reference to the drawingfigures, in which like reference numerals refer to like partsthroughout. For purposes of clarity in illustrating the characteristicsof the present invention, proportional relationships of the elementshave not necessarily been maintained in the drawing figures.

The following detailed description of the invention references specificembodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments areintended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail toenable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Otherembodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departingfrom the scope of the present invention. The present invention isdefined by the appended claims and the description is, therefore, not tobe taken in a limiting sense and shall not limit the scope ofequivalents to which such claims are entitled.

FIG. 1 shows a packaging machine 1 in the form of a tray sealingmachine, also referred to as tray sealer. The packaging machine 1comprises a feed belt 2, one or a plurality of work stations 3 (forexample, an evacuating station, a sealing station and a cuttingstation), a discharge belt 4, a machine frame 5, a gripper system 6, afilm tensioning device 7, an operating device 8, a film supply roll 9and a residual film winder 10.

During operation, the feed belt 2 and the discharge belt 4 may be usedfor transporting tray-shaped packages into and out of the work station 3using the gripper system 6. In the work station 3, the packages may beevacuated, gas-flushed, sealed and cut. A film 11 is supplied by thefilm supply roll 9 and passed through the film tensioning device 7. Inthe work station 3, the package, which is not shown in detail, is sealedwith the film 11 and an air-tight package is produced. The remainingcut-off residual film is wound up in the form of what is known as aresidual film grid using the residual film winder 10 to form a roll 12of the residual film grid.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a reception mandrel 13 of theresidual film winder 10 and a reception sleeve 20 according to thepresent invention. The reception sleeve 20 has a central axis 30 in alongitudinal direction. The reception mandrel 13 comprises tensioningunits (tensioners) 14 in the form of paddles, which can be adjusted inradial expansion of the reception mandrel 13 so as to allow tensioningof the reception sleeve 20 on the reception mandrel to allow fortransferring torque from the reception mandrel 13 to the receptionsleeve 20 to wind the film. The reception mandrel 13 has a push-on andcentering device 15 at the front end thereof for supporting pushing-onof the flexibly configured reception sleeve 20, also shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 shows a front view of the residual film winder 10 with thereception sleeve 20, in its pushed-on condition, and four tensioningunits 14 at an outwardly tensioned position, at which they applypressure to the inner side of the reception sleeve 20 (cf. the directionof the arrows), so as to allow transfer of the torque required forwinding-up the film 11 from mandrel 13 to reception sleeve 20. Also adifferent number of tensioning units or a different variant oftensioning units are imaginable for tensioning the reception sleeve 20on the reception mandrel 13 and are within the scope of the presentinvention.

FIG. 5 shows a wound-up roll 12 of a residual film grid on receptionsleeve 20. In order to allow the roll 12 to be pulled off from thereception mandrel 13 together with the reception sleeve 20, as shown inFIG. 6, the tensioning units 14 are folded inwards in advance, so as toeliminate the tension and allow an almost friction-free removal of thereception sleeve 20 as shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 6 shows a front view of the residual film winder 10 with thereception sleeve 20 positioned on the reception mandrel 13, thetensioning units 14 being here relaxed (see the direction of the arrows)and the reception sleeve 20 being adapted to be pulled off from thereception mandrel 13, as shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the reception sleeve 20 comprisingnine link elements 21, wherein the link elements 21 are each articulatedon a respective neighboring or adjacent link element 21 and rotatable orpivotable relative to one another about an articulation axis A. Tworespective neighboring or adjacent link elements 21 define a hinge 40,and the link elements 21 are adapted to be pivoted or folded about thearticulation axis A, which also defines the hinge axis. The articulationaxes A and thus also the hinges 40 are oriented parallel to the centralaxis 30. This allows, in a first step, inward pivoting of at least twolink elements 21 a, b, so as to reduce the compression applied to thereception sleeve 20 that has been generated during the film windingprocess due to the tensioned film being wound thereon.

FIG. 9 shows the reception sleeve 20 at a position, at which, in asecond step, a plurality of link elements 21 have been folded inwards,thus allowing the reception sleeve 20 to be very easily removed from theroll 12 and to be subsequently pushed again onto the reception mandrel13 in an unfolded state to be re-used to wind another roll of cut-offresidual film.

According to further imaginable variants of the reception sleeve 20, adifferent number of link elements 21 is imaginable and within the scopeof the present invention. In one embodiment, link elements 21 may beproduced from a rigid or semi-flexible material. Other link elements maybe similar to link elements or link chains known from EP 1270454 A1.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one welladapted to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove set forthtogether with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherentto the structure. It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference toother features and sub combinations. This is contemplated by and iswithin the scope of the claims. Since many possible embodiments of theinvention may be made without departing from the scope thereof, it isalso to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative and notlimiting.

The constructions and methods described above and illustrated in thedrawings are presented by way of example only and are not intended tolimit the concepts and principles of the present invention. Thus, therehas been shown and described several embodiments of a novel invention.As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of thepresent invention are not limited by the particular details of theexamples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that othermodifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur tothose skilled in the art. The terms “having” and “including” and similarterms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of“optional” or “may include” and not as “required”. Many changes,modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the presentconstruction will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the artafter considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. Allsuch changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applicationswhich do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention aredeemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by theclaims which follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A reception sleeve for winding up a film at apackaging machine, wherein the reception sleeve comprises: a pluralityof hinges, wherein said hinges are oriented parallel to a central axisof the reception sleeve.
 2. The reception sleeve according to claim 1,wherein the reception sleeve comprises at least two adjacent linkelements that define one of said plurality of hinges.
 3. The receptionsleeve according to claim 2, wherein the at least two link elements areconfigured to be folded inwards towards the central axis of thereception sleeve.
 4. The reception sleeve according to claim 2, whereinthe reception sleeve comprises at least five link elements.
 5. Thereception sleeve according to claim 2, wherein the link elements eachcomprise an articulation axis, wherein all the articulation axes areoriented parallel to one another.
 6. The reception sleeve according toclaim 1, wherein the reception sleeve is configured to be tensioned intoa substantially cylindrical shape.
 7. The reception sleeve according toclaim 1, wherein the reception sleeve is configured to be pushed onto areception mandrel of a residual film winder of said packaging machine.8. A method of winding-up a film on a packaging machine said methodcomprising the following steps: pushing a reception sleeve onto areception mandrel of a residual film winder of said packaging machine,wherein said reception sleeve comprises a plurality of hinges and saidhinges are parallel to a central axis of the reception sleeve; winding afilm onto the reception sleeve to form a roll of the film; pulling offthe reception sleeve together with the roll of the film from thereception mandrel after the winding step; folding the reception sleeveinwards toward the central axis on one of the plurality of hinges afterthe pulling off step; and removing the reception sleeve from the rollafter the folding step.
 9. The method according to claim 8, furthercomprising the step: tensioning the reception sleeve on the receptionmandrel using at least one tensioner, so the reception mandrel isoperable to transmit a torque to the reception sleeve for winding up afilm.
 10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the stepof relaxing the reception sleeve on the reception mandrel after thetensioning step.
 11. The method according to claim 8, further comprisingthe step of tensioning the reception sleeve such that it assumes asubstantially cylindrical shape.
 12. The method according to claim 8,wherein the packaging machine is a tray sealing machine and the film isa residual film grid, wherein the residual film grid including theportion of the film remaining after the trays have been sealed and thetray lids have been cut from said film.